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UK Music celebrates songwriting success at the Ivor Novello Awards

18/05/2017: Grime artist Skepta was a double winner as UK Music attended the 62nd Ivor Novello Awards to see outstanding songwriters and composers, past and present, recognised for their achievements.Skepta – who won last year’s Mercury Prize – took the songwriter of the year prize, as well as the award for best contemporary song for Man.

Joining UK Music chief executive Michael Dugher at the event, to celebrate the success of the writing talent, were Parliamentary candidates Karl Turner, Louise Haigh, Nigel Adams and Laetitia Glossop. Also on the table at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London were Tim Dellows of Transgressive Records, plus his new signing Benny Mails, artist Nadine Shah and MMF chief executive Annabella Coldrick.

The full list of winners was:

Best Song Musically and Lyrically - Black Man In A White World by Dean "Inflo" Josiah Cover and Michael Kiwanuka

Best Contemporary Song - Man by Skepta and Josh Homme

Album Award - The Dreaming Room by Laura Mvula

Most Performed Work - Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay

Best Original Film Score - Kubo And The Two Strings by Dario Marianelli

Best Television Soundtrack - War And Peace by Martin Phipps

International Achievement - Florence Welch

Lifetime Achievement - Nitin Sawhney

Outstanding Song Collection - Pulp

Outstanding Contribution to British Music - Anne Dudley

Special International Award - Bill Withers

Songwriter of the Year – Skepta

The Ivors Jazz Award - John Surman

The Ivors Inspiration Award - Gary Numan

Skepta told guests how lifes ups and downs were sometimes a blessing to a writer. “I’ve really fallen in love with songwriting. It’s helped me out through bad times in my life. People ask me why I’m so easy through the bad times. I think, ‘another song!’,” he joked as he collected the songwriter of the year award.

Summing up the importance of the Ivors, Gary Numan collected his prize and said: “I’ve been doing this a very long time and this is probably my proudest moment.”

Among those to receive standing ovations were Bill Withers, Florence Welch and composer/arranger/Art Of Noise star Anne Dudley.

Michael Dugher said: “The Ivor Novello Awards is one of the finest events in the music calendar because it celebrates excellence, with the brilliant work of writers rewarded by their peers. Each of these winners richly deserves their recognition. The UK’s songwriters and composers are in demand around the world and at a time when the dynamics of the industry are changing rapidly, it is important that all digital platforms recognise and reward their value.”